Rescued Silkies - Covered in lice, toe nail fungus

[WindingRoad]

The hens are with my rescue partner so she's doing all the leg work on this one. I believe she has them on a 50/50 mix of Purina Layena and a Feather Fixer. I can drop off a bag of All Flock if you think that's better than what they're currently being fed.

I know she is feeding them scrambled eggs as a treat. They're a bit skittish so she's using high-value and healthy treats to get them comfortable with being handled and around people.

I'll let her know about the yogurt mash for probiotics. I left a stack of Sav-a-Chic Electrolyte and Probiotic packets for my rescue partner to mix with their water.

We'll keep an eye on the toe nails. I didn't think there was much we could do, but it never hurts to ask.

Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it.

My rescue partner is going to try to figure out who the buyer is so she can warn them about the lice and other issues. She doesn't suspect the owner will tell the buyers.

Walmart sells gizzards, liver, and hearts for about a $1 a pound. I get 2-3 pounds and divide it up into 3 portions. Freeze two and boil the other one for about 20 minutes. Let it cool and chop it up small. Good source of protein and cheap. Good luck, once they have good nutrition you'll see them getting better.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Walmart sells gizzards, liver, and hearts for about a $1 a pound. I get 2-3 pounds and divide it up into 3 portions. Freeze two and boil the other one for about 20 minutes. Let it cool and chop it up small. Good source of protein and cheap. Good luck, once they have good nutrition you'll see them getting better.

OH! Good call and thank you for the reminder! I have a couple of packages of hearts and gizzards I used (unsuccessfully) to bait a weasel that decimated my hen flock two weeks ago.

 

[WindingRoad]

OH! Good call and thank you for the reminder! I have a couple of packages of hearts and gizzards I used (unsuccessfully) to bait a weasel that decimated my hen flock two weeks ago.

My birds gobble them right up. I have to remember to get some more this week.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

So one of the rescue hens - the one with the worse feet - is now lame and her feet feet are turning white. I haven't seen the issue so I don't yet know if by 'turning white' my rescue partner means the hen is losing pigmentation or if the feet are flaking, like a sun burn. Given the hen's original living conditions and the damage to her feet, I'm not surprised that she's having issues.

I know frost bite will damage the skin turning it white, but is there any way to treat that? Since I haven't seen what's going on, I'm wondering if it could be something else and what. Any thoughts?

I'm going to visit them this afternoon so I'll be able to get photos, but any thoughts you have now would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

It would be best to see pictures of the white legs to know for sure what is going on. Scaly leg mites can appear ashy and light grey. Frostbite usually looks black and shriveled after a few weeks, so that might not be the problem.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I have this photo from the last visit so it's a bit old, but I'll get some more today. For orientation, that's her toenail-less fifth toe.



So if it is scaly legmite, what would you recommend we treat with? Keep in mind they have been treated within the last month for lice w/ Ivermecin.

If it's something else... that'll just break my heart.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

So I just got back from visiting the rescues.

I put the photos and videos into a Google Photo Album. Please let me know if it doesn't work or you'd prefer them to be uploaded here. Happy to do so.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TXxfQjzhN9oiJtGZA

The first six feet photos and the mouth photos are from the lame hen. She has no scales on her feet and her toenails are a nightmare. There is so much damage to her feet I am surprised she walks at all, however reluctantly. We gave her a .3 ml of metacam and rubbed some pure vitamin e on her foot.

The next three foot photos are of different hen that also seems to have a slight limp to her walk. We gave her .15 ml of metacam.

The last four feet photos are from a third hen. Comparatively, her feet look good. A little dry and the scales are slightly lifted - like they're ready to be shed. This one is skeletal despite her ravenous appetite.

Thoughts? We do have access to a poultry vet, but I'm not working right now so money is tight. But if absolutely necessary I will take them and figure out how to pay for it later.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would do some warm epsom salts soaks to the feet and legs. Then apply some coconut oil or caster oil to the legs and feet. That might help the healthy skin grow.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Drop off a fecal to a vet.
Skinny, ravenous hungry animals plus skin issues to me sounds like internal parasites. It will certainly help to rule it out if that's not it!

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Thank you, @Eggcessive. Their feet remind me of a peeling sun burn. They're good girls and such cuties. A little shy still, but that's to be expected.

@DellaMyDarling, that's a good idea. I'll see if I can get my rescue partner to scoop some poop and get it to the vet. Having lost my own Silkie to cancer recently, I'm a little worried about this one.